Tyler Robinson preliminary hearing: Judge orders redactions to ex-lover’s video testimony

PROVO, Utah — Video testimony from Lance Twiggs, the former lover of suspected Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson, will be played in court Thursday morning as a week-long preliminary hearing nears its end. 

Prosecutors intended to play it Wednesday, but after a series of objections from the defense, Judge Tony Graf Jr. called for redactions, and prosecutors said they’d rather wait until the morning to ensure they could comply with the court order before playing it. 

Charlie’s widow, Erika Kirk, shared several emotional embraces with her mother-in-law, Kathy Kirk, and was also wiping tears when the family attorney, Jeff Neiman, asked the court to play the unredacted video for "all the world to see."

From the gallery, she appeared to urge the lawyer to approach the podium for the first time since the hearing began Monday. 

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Playing only a redacted version would create "doubt and distrust in the judicial system," Neiman argued. 

"The Kirk family believes strongly that if the evidence is being admitted in this preliminary hearing, it should be made public for the world to see no redactions," he told the judge. "This court has tools at its disposal to make sure the defendant receives a fair trial. You'll use them if you find that you need to."

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Graf, however, agreed to redactions of about 16 minutes of the roughly 37-minute video statement from Twiggs, as suggested by the defense, after Robinson attorney Richard Novak raised constitutional concerns about televising a "confession" before trial. 

The full video is expected to show Twiggs discussing texts, chat logs and a note that the defense said prosecutors and the public would consider a "confession" from Robinson. 

Novak said the defense does not characterize them as a confession. 

Robinson appeared visibly uneasy at times during the hearing, especially during mentions of Twiggs, his lover at the time of the shooting — taking deep breaths, fidgeting and adjusting his suit jacket. 

Some of the alleged texts between Robinson and Twiggs have been made public already, in which prosecutors claim the defendant mentions being "stuck in Orem," where the shooting took place — and appears to take responsibility for being "the one who did it."

Mention of the texts are expected to be redacted from the video played Thursday, but the judge said he will consider them when he makes his probable cause decision.  

Graf also said the preliminary hearing will end by 5 p.m. Friday, squelching speculation that the planned five-day hearing could run longer. 

At the end of the hearing, as everyone stood, Erika and Kathy Kirk shared a tearful hug.